Poetry Contests — To Enter or Not To Enter?
Can you assess the value of a contest before entering? The following tip list can help you identify the legitimate ones:
1) Check out the organization offering the contest. Do you recognize it? If not, check it out further and be wary. You can use Preditors and Editors (http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/) to find out how the site rates. And stay away from contests offered by only one person!
2) Look at the entry fees. Verify the legitimacy of anything over $35. If it’s not a well-known organization, steer clear. The norm for the smaller contests is between $5 and $25. Some are free. Others offer non-monetary prizes, such as publication, books or subscriptions. If publication is the prize, make sure the exposure is wide enough to make it worthwhile. Find out where and how you’ll be published.
3) Look for the number of contests run in a year. The money-makers, those in the business solely to make a fast buck, run contests back-to-back all year long. If you see a lot of contests, ask for more information. Assess the quality of writing in their publications to determine their goals.
4) Before entering, look for a scoring sheet or some kind of assessment about how you will be judged. If they are asking for only $5 or if it’s free, don’t expect too much if anything, but if they’re charging in the $15 to $45 category, feedback is warranted, and this should be noted in the guidelines.
5) Look for judges. What are their credentials? Are they industry professionals? A legitimate contest will provide this information. Some contests will protect the identity of their judges, however, so don’t set this one in stone. (Jello will do). In the least, they should give you the judge’s credentials, such as a senior editor from Simon and Schuster, for example, without giving the name. Again, don’t expect this for the smaller contests.
6) Consider the prize. If it’s too high, be careful — it may be a scam to entice people into spending money on the entrance fee. While a $10,000 prize is likely a scam, even $5,000 and up should be treated suspiciously, though it’s worth checking out. Some publishing houses offer publication to winners, which is enticing, but many scam artists offer the same thing, so make sure you have done your homework and found out about the publisher.
7) Look for the Guidelines. Are there any? There should be, and they should be very clear, providing information about eligibility, deadlines, format, fees, and any rights you may be surrendering. If they don’t have them, find another contest. And follow the guidelines closely!
Remember to have fun… and good luck!
More Information:
- Writing Contests: When Winners Are Losers, by Moira Allen
- http://www.writing-world.com/rights/contests.shtml
